Escape from the Planet of the Apes

Sometimes a series is too successful to just let it end naturally. Following the success of Planet of the Apes and Beneath the Planet of the Apes, Fox Studios wanted another sequel, but there was a problem. Without giving too much away, the ending for 'Beneath' well....didn't really leave any opening for a follow-up. That's what screenwriters are for and ta-da! The series continued! A third movie in the series, 1971's Escape from the Planet of the Apes.

On a warm sunny day off the coast in southern California, a spaceship is discovered floating in the Pacific. The ship is brought ashore, the Army waiting to welcome the astronauts on-board but no one is sure where the spaceship came from or who is in fact on-board. Those waiting are stunned when the three astronauts remove their helmets, revealing themselves as apes. The three astronauts? Dr. Cornelius (Roddy McDowall), his wife, Dr. Zira (Kim Hunter) and Dr. Milo (Sal Mineo). The arrival of talking, intelligent apes stuns the world, forcing the government to decide what to do with the ape trio. Some are welcoming, Cornelius and Zira especially becoming instantly famous in pop culture. Others though aren't so welcoming, questioning where these apes came from and what is their intention in coming to Earth? Both sides need to find a happy medium, but some are sure the presence alone of these futuristic astronauts is a threat to the future of mankind.

So as we talked about, Beneath the Planet of the Apes didn't leave much of an opening for the series to continue, Charlton Heston insisting that be it for the series. Money is a powerful motivator though, isn't it? The series continues, but back on Earth in modern times. Director Don Taylor begins the second half of the series, catapulting the franchise in a different route for its final three films, composer Jerry Goldsmith returning as well with a great score. The premise linking 'Beneath' and 'Escape' is a tad contrived, a tad forced when you think about how 'Beneath' ended but for the sake of where the series is going, it's not so bad. Why does it stand out from the rest?

Two reasons. McDowall and Hunter. Playing Cornelius, McDowall returns to the series after being unable to to star in 'Beneath' because of a scheduling conflict. Less than pleased with her characterization in 'Beneath' (or maybe lack of), Hunter returned because she liked the script. The story is a departure from the first two movies, but this returning duo is perfect. Where we saw Heston's Taylor and James Franciscus' Brent struggling to adjust in a simian world, we now see Cornelius and Zira going through the same struggles in a human world. Where everything else has changed around them, having a spouse is a constant. Their chemistry is perfect, two intelligent individuals deciding what should be their next step, how best to survive in this human world. They have these perfect little moments, Cornelius trying on suits, Zira trying on stylish dresses, Cornelius standing up for his wife, Zira fighting for respect that carries the story surprisingly well on an emotional level.

It's cool to see Cornelius and Zira -- key supporting parts in the first two movies, still supporting parts -- step into the lead roles. That added dimension carries the movie. Who else to look for? Bradford Dillman and Natalie Trundy as Lewis Dixon and Stephanie Branton, two doctors and animal psychiatrists who become almost public relations representatives for Cornelius and Zira, but more importantly, they become trusted friends. Eric Braeden is Dr. Otto Hasslein, the scientific adviser to the President (William Windom), who questions that if these apes come from Earth's future...why did they leave?  It's Eric Braeden so yes, he's a villain. Mineo makes the most of his smallish part as Dr. Milo, the third ape to travel through time with Cornelius and Zira, while Ricardo Montalban is a scene-stealer as Armando, the charming, friendly owner of a circus who works with Lewis and Stephanie. Also look for Jason Evers and Albert Salmi as Braeden's two henchmen, while John Randolph is the head of the commission investigating what to do with the visiting simians.  

There are portions of this movie that are really sweet, great emotional moments that work because of the chemistry between McDowall and Hunter. Following the trend of the first two movies though, things take a turn for the dark though near the halfway point of the 98-minute movie. The time travel aspect comes up, if someone from the future knows what's going to happen, can we change it by wiping them out? We discuss issues of nuclear war, experimentation on animals, prejudices against races and cultures, but it is all handled in subtle enough fashion that it works. The ending is pretty heartbreaking in itself, but as the series has set us up for, there's a great twist in the final scene. Definitely stick with it to the final credits.

Another worthy Planet of the Apes movie, throwing us for a loop but all for the interesting. Coming up next, the final two films in the series, Conquest of Planet of the Apes and Battle for the Planet of the Apes, neither of which I've seen in one sitting. Stay tuned!

Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971): ***/****

The Swimmer

Like certain works of classic literature, movies and films can intimidate. I've avoided certain novels over the years because they're written by a certain author, about a certain subject, or in some cases, because that book is MASSIVE in size. As far as movies go, I've long been aware of 1968's The Swimmer. I've wanted to see it, but it hasn't been readily available and I'll be honest. It sounded like an imposing movie I was going to have some trouble with. Well, I caught up with it. Here we go.

On a warm late summer day in an affluent Connecticut suburb, Ned Merrill (Burt Lancaster) walks out of the woods wearing nothing but a swim suit. He jumps into a neighbor's pool and does a couple laps, getting out and catching up with some of his old neighbors. As he dries off, overlooking the valley, Ned comes up with an idea. Stretching all the way back to his home, Ned realizes all his neighbors have a backyard swimming pool, one after another leading right up to his own. In theory then, he could swim all the way across the county right back to his home. It sounds pretty harebrained but Ned is off and running and swimming. One by one, he swims in each of his neighbors' pools, but he may not like what's waiting for him at the end of his trek.

This is a movie with a message, and dammit, it's going to get that message across one way or another! From director Frank Perry (and an uncredited Sydney Pollack), 'Swimmer' is a very interesting movie if not a very good movie. It is based off a short story by author John Cheever, one that is a criticism -- if not a condemnation -- of the culture that developed in America following World War II. A generation returning from war wanted to return to a better life. Families moved outside cities, suburbs becoming a known thing. Houses had to be perfectly furnished with all sorts of appliances, and maybe most importantly, a swimming pool in the backyard. A condemnation of that materialistic desire is a tad obvious, a little noble, mostly interesting and bogged down in a reliance on artsy/art-house style.

If there's a strength to take away from this flick, it's Lancaster in the titular role. This is a film that the Hollywood legend considers one of his best. Considering how many great parts he had in a great career, that means something. This is a part that meant a lot to him, a movie that meant a lot to him. Playing Ned Merrill, the All-American dad and husband, Lancaster runs the gamut. We're introduced to a man on top of the world. It's a beautiful day, sunny and no clouds, and he's got an idea to "swim" across the county. As the day develops, as he gets closer to home, we learn everything isn't so peachy. His perfect life is far from it. No spoilers though, check out the movie for yourself. Lancaster is ideal casting though. He spends the entire movie in an almost-Speedo swimsuit and is in ridiculously good shape for a 55-year old actor. Lancaster does a lot without dialogue, his face and emotions doing more than words can. His physical mannerisms wither as the truths reveal themselves as he gets closer to home.

The story in 'Swimmer' is one episode after another, Lancaster's Ned (or Neddie to a lot of people) visiting friends who apparently haven't seen him in quite awhile. He talks about his wife, his daughters and his business and gets odd stares when people hear him talk about the family. It's one perfectly manicured house after another, immaculate house and pools with crystal blue water. The people welcome him...at first, and then the emotions switch. Friendly smiles and welcoming hugs and handshakes become stares and screaming and frustration. Some of those folks he meets along the way include Charles Drake, Kim Hunter, pre-plastic surgery Joan Rivers, and plenty other familiar faces if not instantly recognizable names. The movie's most dramatic scene (and most revelatory) is with a middle-aged woman, Shirley, played to perfection by Janice Rule, who holds quite a grudge against Ned.

There are positives but for me they mostly get bogged down in some stylistic choices that handicap the story. The soundtrack from Marvin Hamlisch -- for lack of a better description -- is too 1960s for its own good, dreamy, jazzy and soft rock, like we're watching a dream sequence. The look of the film is interesting, artsy and eerily beautiful, the transitions between pools adding to the dream-like qualities. One bizarre aside has Ned walking through the woods with Julie (Janet Landgard), his family's former babysitter who he meets at her parents' pool. Julie admits she had a crush on Ned growing up, the revelation sending the story down a weird, uncomfortable path. This all comes after an extended slow motion sequence where Ned and Julie run around a horse obstacle track. Bizarre much?

That's what the movie comes down to me. I think the message is worthwhile. The mystery and the tension kept me interested right until the end. Nothing is ever spelled out, a good and bad thing. I'd like a little more closure, a little more resolution. Unfortunately, the message gets bogged down in stylistic choices that are overbearing, acting that ranges from amateurish to over the top bad and a dream-like quality that never quite delivers. Worth a watch to experience it, say you've seen it, Burt Lancaster's performance the best thing going here.

The Swimmer (1968): **/****

Beneath the Planet of the Apes

Well, let's not mess with a good thing. I love the original Planet of the Apes, and it's been years since I caught up with its four sequels. While none of the sequels live up to the original's success, these are good movies (even if there was no need for any sequel). My personal favorite has always been the first sequel, 1970's Beneath the Planet of the Apes. 

Following where the previous NASA mission explored in deep space, a spaceship crashes on the same far-off planet, astronaut Brent (James Franciscus), trying desperately to survive. When the ship's commander (Tod Andrews) dies from his wounds, Brent is all alone among the wreckage. Thinking he's alone on this planet, Brent is shocked when a woman rides over the hill on a horse packed with supplies. The woman is Nova (Linda Harrison), and she's clutching the dog tags of Taylor (Charlton Heston) in her hand. Unable to speak, Nova can't communicate what happened to Taylor, Brent only knowing that he's landed on the right planet. Nova takes him to Ape City though, leaving the stranded astronaut stunned at what he's found. Now on the run, Brent and Nova must stay one step ahead of the gorilla army, an invasion planned for the mysterious Forbidden Zone.

Picking up exactly where the original 'Apes' left off, 'Beneath' is an interesting follow-up. Following the immense success of the first movie, Fox Studios went ahead with a sequel that star Charlton Heston wanted nothing to do with. That contract thing though, it gets in the way of what you want to do. Heston agreed to play a small part (he's only on-screen for about 10 minutes) with the demand that one sequel was all there would be. Well, he got his first part of the deal, but there were three more sequels to come. What's the result here? A solid sequel that stays true to the formula laid out by the first one, adding some new layers in the second half of a 95-minute movie. Early on, it feels almost like a scene-for-scene remake -- Brent going through what Taylor did -- but it's the second half that brings the movie up a notch or two.

Replacing Heston in the lead role is Franciscus, a good actor who never became a huge star in film or television. He was a familiar face though who does a solid if unspectacular job as Brent. The biggest issue with the character is what I mentioned earlier, Brent is just too similar to Taylor to really leave his own mark. Still, I liked Franciscus, and Brent does get his chance to step into the spotlight in the final act as we find out what's in the Forbidden Zone. Also returning from the first movie is Kim Hunter as the friendly, helpful intelligent Dr. Zira, Maurice Evans as the cynical, truth-hiding Dr. Zaius, David Watson replacing Roddy McDowall (other obligations) as Cornelius', Zira's husband and fellow scientist. Also joining the cast is James Gregory as General Ursus, the commander of the army who's obsessed with leading an invasion into the Forbidden Zone.

So what exactly is out there, hiding away in the Forbidden Zone? SPOILERS in this paragraph SPOILERS Chased by a squad of gorilla cavalry, Brent and Nova ride into the Forbidden Zone, hiding away in a subterranean cavern that ends up being the subway tunnels underneath New York City. They find a community of mutants who survived the original atomic blasts and now worship a Doomsday bomb that was built strong enough to destroy the world. What to do, what to do? The mutants have no way of protecting themselves while the invading gorilla army intends to wipe out anything they find in the Forbidden Zone. Brent, Nova and Taylor are caught in the middle to look for a solution, however dangerous. Look for Paul Richards as Mendez, leader of the mutants, with Victor Buono, Jeff Corey, Natalie Trundy, Don Pedro Colley and Gregory Sierra his Mutant Cabinent of sorts.

Where 'Beneath' sets itself above the other sequels is in the road the story goes down in the final act. A familiar story up to that point, it takes a big turn....for the better. I don't want to give spoilers away because like the original, the ending resonates more if you're surprised at where it goes. You know me by now, I'm a sucker for a dark, brutally cynical ending. This one sets the bar pretty high, unceremonious in how it knocks off certain characters, the final twist coming and going in a flash. That's it. That's all. Movie over. An underrated sequel for sure, well worth checking out for science fiction fans, especially for fans of the Apes series. Next up, Escape from the Planet of the Apes!

Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970): ***/****